College Football Enquirer Is the Big 12 a two-bid CFP league? + 2-loss SEC playoff hopes + Lincoln Riley’s future at USC
Oct 25, 2026
Wild upsets shake up the Big 12, opening a path to two CFP bids for contenders like BYU, Utah, and Arizona. The SEC faces a crowded two-loss playoff race after chaotic results for Texas, Tennessee, LSU, and Alabama. USC’s offensive collapse puts Lincoln Riley under pressure, while Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Indiana fuel a rising Big Ten middle class.
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The Expanded Playoff Changes What Losses Mean
- BYU’s upset does not erase its season because the expanded playoff rewards teams that recover from losses.
- Steven Godfrey says volatility now reaches even elite programs, rejecting the old assumption that top teams simply hold serve through November.
UCF Exposes College Football’s New Volatility
- UCF’s victory over BYU featured a backup-turned-starter, bizarre officiating, and a player from suburban Provo delivering the winning catch.
- The game illustrates how modern portal depth and unpredictable circumstances can reshape playoff races overnight.
Money Did Not Fix Texas Tech’s Quarterback Problem
- Texas Tech’s expensive roster could not overcome weak quarterback play and a defense less talented than last year’s unit.
- Cincinnati’s low-budget roster exposed the gap between financial investment and actual player performance.